"Given them away!" repeated the colonel, slowly and sternly.
"I have given them for a good object, very dear to my heart. I am sure you would approve of it. Please, papa, do not ask me any more about it now. I do not want to tell you yet. It is a secret. I have promised, just to myself, and almost to G.o.d, never to tell any one until a certain thing is accomplished--until I can fully succeed."
"What is the matter with you, child? Have you lost your senses? You had no right to give away things intrusted to your care. I have told you that, by your mother"s simple will, all she had was left at my disposition. Am I to be disappointed in both my children?" and the colonel bowed his head upon his hands.
"Dear papa, you are not to be disappointed in me! I have done nothing wrong." Here Alma"s conscience gave her a sharp p.r.i.c.k. Suddenly she broke out, after a moment"s pause, "I want to be like the princess. I am sure that would please you, papa! You know she sold her jewels for a home for the sick poor."
The colonel answered seriously: "The princess is a saintly woman, and you would do well to follow her example. She sold her jewels to build a home for the aged sick, but she did not do it, princess and grown woman as she was, until she had asked the consent of her mother and her brother the king. What have you done, my child? What have you been thinking of? You must explain yourself fully. I have a right to demand it!"
Alma again left the room, to return with the little yellow house in her hands. "Here is my savings-box, papa," she said; "Nono made it for me."
A flush of pleasure came over the face of the colonel. "So exactly like Karin"s cottage!" he exclaimed. "What a clever little boy! I like him."
"I thought--I thought," said Alma, encouraged by her father"s smile--"I thought I would like to have a home for sick little children. I wanted to save my money to do something really good and lasting, instead of fooling it away by giving a little here and there, that did not after all do much good to anybody. I have saved all I could, and have given nothing away for anything else, but it went very slowly, and then I thought of those ornaments that were to be mine, and--I really did not think you would care." Here Alma blushed, and added, "I hoped you would not mind!" and her tears fell fast.
"My poor child!" said the colonel, as he put his arm around her and drew her to his side. "So this is the explanation of the change that had pa.s.sed over you, and had given me so much pain!--my little Alma, who loved so dearly to give, and who has lately been so hard and cold that the very idea of an appeal from a poor family seemed to close her heart and stiffen her face into determined opposition. You cannot be a princess, dear, and do some great thing. I am afraid there was more pride than holy love in your plan. You should not think of yourself when you want to do good, but of your heavenly Master and his suffering brothers. Remember that! That was your dear mother"s way. Self seemed dead in her. If she could but have lived to teach you by her beautiful example! It is not in seeking to do some great thing that we are in the right path. The little things that come to us day by day and hour by hour are safest for most Christians, and surely so for beginners. Where is the key to this locked little house?"
Alma produced the key at once, and placed it in her father"s hands. He might open that small door if he pleased. She fancied it would be almost wrong to do it herself.
The door was opened, and there, among small coins and great, lay the jewels. The crystal of the watch had been broken by some falling contribution. The colonel took the watch in his hand, and said,--
"This can easily be repaired. You must wear it constantly; and may it remind you that the best gifts to G.o.d are those that are offered humbly, modestly, with no thought of self, and with no desire for the praise of man. If the little watch can so remind you of your duty, it will be a holy messenger to you, and so in a way set apart to the service of G.o.d. You have unwisely given, as you thought, the diamonds to the poor. We will not take them back. Your dear mother had not herself worn them for many years. They shall be sold, and you may send the money anonymously to any hospital for children where help is needed. So you will keep your motives. With the money lying in the little cottage you can have the joy of helping the suffering poor; but you had better consult with me as to how to use it. It is not to be thrown away now lavishly on every applicant, to do perhaps more harm than good. Lay the jewels in the case and lock the door of the little cottage." He was going to add, "Remember, Alma, that one kind word from you to your brother is a better offering for you than much money given in charity." The words were not spoken. He but said, "Poor Frans! where is he? G.o.d help my boy!"
Alma put her arm round her father"s neck and whispered, "Dear papa, if Frans comes home--when he comes home, I do really mean to be more kind to him than ever before; but he--"
"No "buts," Alma," said the father. "However far wrong your brother has gone, he is still your brother, your only brother, and it will be your duty to love him, and pray for him, and watch over him with tender affection. He has no mother. You must be to him all that a good sister can be."
"Papa!" said Alma, deeply moved, "you are too gentle towards me. I do not deserve it. I half felt all the while that I might be doing wrong about those things that did not really belong to me. I see it now very plainly. I would not listen to my conscience. I see I had a foolish pride in what I was trying to do. I did not see it clearly then, but now I know I was taking possession of what did not really belong to me--I who have been so angry with Frans, so ashamed even to think of him as my brother! I don"t know what I should have been if I had fallen into temptation, and had had a bad companion to lead me on!
Please, please, papa, forgive me! I know you do; but I cannot forgive myself! I am sure the sight of dear mamma"s watch ought always to make me humble."
"May G.o.d help you and keep you from all evil!" said the father solemnly, as he kissed his daughter and bade her good-night.
CHAPTER XVI.
SPECTACLES.
The news of the disappearance of Frans had brought gloom to the golden house. There he had been lovingly received, and had appeared at his best. Nono was clear in his mind that Frans had had nothing to do with the theft, however wrong he might have done in running away and causing his friends such painful anxiety.
Jan shut his mouth firmly and went about in determined silence. Karin cried as if it had been her own boy who had gone wrong.
"He hasn"t had any mother to look after him," said Nono, and he patted Karin tenderly. "If you could have had him it would have been quite different, I am sure."
"That is a fact," said one of the twins.
"A solid fact!" echoed the other.
Karin smiled for a moment kindly, and then said soberly, "If only Uncle Pelle were here! I should so like to know what he would say."
Old Pelle had gone on his pedestrian trip. Not that he had any sportsman accoutrements, or used any slang as to the particulars of his expedition. In one respect he was prepared for his excursion on the strictest modern principles. He was lightly equipped as to clothing, and in woollen garments from top to toe. Better still, he had a light heart within, and a thankful one. He was out on a pleasant errand.
Pelle was now a settled resident in the parish where the golden cottage stood, with occupation pledged to him while he had strength to work, and a support as long as life lasted. The colonel had settled that matter; and Karin rejoiced to see the shadows cleared from the old man"s future, with the bright prospect of his continuing to be "a blessing" to them, as she said, "while he was above the green gra.s.s."
Pelle had left a few trifles at the poorhouse, where he had been grudgingly received during his last long attack of serious illness. He had before been unable to make up his mind to go after his small belongings. There had been lingering in the depths of his heart a germ of bitterness about the whole affair, and he had been afraid it might spring into strong life if he returned to see the old place again. Now the rankling, tormenting thoughts had vanished in the sunshine that had come to him, and he was sure it would be pleasant to see the familiar scenes again, and to take well-known people by the hand in a friendly way, and let bygones be bygones.
Pelle had been rowed over to the opposite side of the bay, to avoid an unnecessary bit of walking; and now that he was expected home, Nono was sent across the water to meet him. Nono was already in the boat and taking up the oars, when Alma came strolling along the sh.o.r.e with her hands full of wild flowers, for she had been botanizing. "Let me row with you," she said eagerly to Nono.
"Yes," said Nono; "I am going after Uncle Pelle. But the boat--" and he looked at Alma"s light dress, and then at the traces left of the last trip of the fishermen to whom the boat belonged.
"Never mind that," said Alma cheerily. "I can manage my dress, and I do so love to row." She seated herself and took up a pair of oars.
It was a long pull across the bay, and they were only half over when they saw a sail-boat in front of them, making for the wider part of the inlet.
"Not very good sailors, I think," said Nono critically, for Pelle had taught him how to trim a sail. He had hardly spoken the word when a flaw struck the little skiff they were watching, and it capsized instantly. There was a loud shriek from the place of the accident, and a groan from Nono and Alma. They could soon see two heads, and arms clinging to the upturned boat. Alma and Nono rowed desperately towards the spot, but made slow progress, as the bay had suddenly grown rough, and the wind was contrary. They could distinguish the faces now. One was unknown, but Alma"s eyes grew large and full of anguish as she recognized her brother. "It is Frans!" she said to Nono.
"Yes," was his only reply, and they pulled with even more determination than before. In a few moments Frans and his companion were taken on board by Alma and Nono.
"Frans!" said Alma, as she laid her hand in his, "I was so afraid--I was so afraid we should not reach you in time. You can swim; why didn"t you start out for us?"
"Knut here can"t swim, and of course I couldn"t leave him. I knew I couldn"t keep him up and make my way to you. It was better for us to hold fast as long as we could."
A well-manned boat was now seen coming towards them from the sh.o.r.e.
The strong rowers soon brought it to their side. Knut looked meaningly at Frans, but was silent.
"We must have those young fellows," said the person in command, who was evidently an officer of justice.
The dripping boys changed their quarters without a word. Frans turned and looked at Alma as the boat he had entered headed for the sh.o.r.e.
"Thank you, sister," he called out; "you rowed like a man!"
He had never called her "sister" before. Alma"s eyes filled with tears. She moved as if to row after her brother.
"Uncle Pelle will be expecting us. I think I see him there waiting,"
said Nono. "We must go for him." Nono was decided. This was the errand on which he was sent, and the duty must be done, even though Miss Alma might be displeased with him. Alma looked impatient, but after a moment she began to move her pair of oars willingly as she said, "You are right, Nono," and relapsed into silence.
When Pelle came on board, Nono did not say anything about what had happened until Pelle himself, who had seen the whole from the sh.o.r.e, asked what it all meant, and who the boys were who had so mismanaged their boat, "green hands" as he could see.
"You can tell him, Nono," said Alma. "He will have to know it all.
But I am so glad Frans was not drowned!"
Alma looked straight forward over the water, while Nono, as kindly as he could, told in a few words all the sad story to Pelle, who listened in silence; but towards the close a strange gleam of intelligence came into his eyes. Pelle never talked if he were not in the humour, and now Nono was not surprised that no answer came from the old man"s firmly-closed lips.
Alma was the first to step ash.o.r.e. With a hurried nod to her companions she moved off swiftly towards her home.
"Now pull for town--pull, Nono!" said Pelle, with unusual energy, taking up himself the oars that Alma had laid down.
Pull they did, tired as were Nono"s young arms, and feeble as were Pelle"s. The distance was short by water, and the two were soon at the magistrate"s office, where Pelle expected to find the delinquent boys.